Pages

Friday, March 28, 2014

In my corner of the world, there has been increasing attention paid to the Daily 5 and CAFE methods of ensuring you are offering a balanced literacy program in the French classroom. Although I'm pretty sure that this isn't something that will quite work out for me in grade 8, I'm always interested in finding out how things work and of course adapting anything that will enrich my students' learning and make my life easier at the same time.

So I figured it would be a good idea to share what (little!) I know and the resources I've gathered to learn more. There are already a ton of places that you can read more about what the Daily 5 is, and how the CAFE methodology works. I always suggest going right to the source when you are ready for the full, clear explanation. As usual, my focus is on helping other FSL teachers, so I won't go over all the basics.

Instead, here are various free signs to choose from, pre-made and ready for your class thanks to caring, dedicated teachers just like you! (More about that below!!)

From La Classe de Madame Bernice, you can download a set of animal-themed green and brown CAFE headers. If polka-dots are more your style, visit Keshia Leger on TPT. They each offer a slightly different translation for the acronym. I only read the CAFE book in English, not in French, so I'm not sure which was officially adopted by the translator but you can of course use whatever works for you. For a spring or flower-themed bulletin board, visit La classe de Zazou and download this set of 4 CAFE header signs.

Some "Word Work" ideas as task cards, free from Crapouilleries (I like the ideas & always appreciate cute frames BUT really wish those creating cute things in French would stick with fonts that include accents! See two previous blog posts about this, with font suggestions, here and here or if you're making something just for personal use in your own school, then be sure to check out KG Fonts which are all accent-friendly and gorgeous. She offers licences if you wish to use any of these fonts more publicly or for profit.) This one on TN which includes both the headers AND matching strategy cards is pretty good, but you'll still need to write in an accent or two before you laminate, if you're anything like me. Finally, one more super attractive set from Profs et Soeurs and you have enough to at least set up your classroom, I think.

If you're interested in the resources, you can order the Daily 5 French version of the book or in English.

as well as the CAFE method book in English.

In closing, as I was saying above, please remember that the people who took the time to put these cute and helpful resources together are other teachers just like you. They may be in their first or second year of teaching, or their thirtieth. They may have families, financial challenges, and health concerns. But they've decided to share their hard work ... with you! Please remember to contribute what YOU can as well. If you have a great activity that will help other teachers why not pass it along? Those of you who are already active on TPT or maintain a blog have a ready-made place to go. If you don't, this blog post suggests some other ideas for helping out our French teaching colleagues. One final note, especially for the TPT or TN creators... it's my understanding that "The Sisters" as they are called do NOT permit their trademark names to be used in items for sale. Do your own research to make your own decision... we're all adults here, after all.

Want to find out more but not quite ready to purchase the resources yourself? Consider borrowing them out of any professional libraries that you have access to, search on Pinterest, as well as checking out this facebook group for English teachers using the Daily 5 and another one for French teachers.